Christmas Yule Log Layer Cake
This festive Yule Log Layer Cake puts a simplified spin on the traditional Bûche de Noël. A velvety smooth chocolate ganache buttercream surrounds the layers of moist chocolate cake, which are stacked high with more frosting and a layer of raspberry jam in this Yule Log Layer Cake. A simplified version of the traditional Bûche de Noël, this cake is surprisingly easy to make and to decorate.
Servings: 18
Calories: 710kcal
Equipment
- 3 9 inch round cake pans
- Small saucepan
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Flat or offset spatula
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 ⅛ cups Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 2 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 ⅛ cups whole milk
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ⅜ cup full-fat sour cream
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups hot coffee
Chocolate Ganache Buttercream Frosting
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate baking bar, finely chopped
- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 ⅔ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 ⅓ cups Dutch processed cocoa powder
Fillings & Garnishes
- ½ cup raspberry jam
- rosemary sprigs
- fresh cranberries
- clean mini pinecones
- confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder, for dusting
Instructions
Make the cake batter.
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray three 9 inch cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- To the dry ingredients add milk, oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Stir until well combined. The batter will be thick, similar to the texture of brownie batter.
- Add hot coffee to the batter, carefully mixing with a whisk until well blended. The batter will now be very thin.
Bake the cake.
- Divide the cake batter evenly among the three cake pans.
- Bake the cakes for 25 minutes, or until the top sprigs back when gently poked and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then run a cake tester or small knife around the edge of each cake to ensure the sides of the cake are not stuck to the pan. Invert each cake pan over wire racks to remove the cakes from the pan. Let the cakes cool completely.
Make the frosting.
- When the cake is cool, make the frosting, beginning by making the chocolate ganache. Place finely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside.
- Add the cream to a small saucepan and heat just until it begins to simmer. Pour the heated cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes before stirring with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and shiny. Set the ganache aside and allow it to cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), beat butter, vanilla, and salt on medium-high speed until smooth.
- Add sugar and cocoa powder slowly, beating well on medium speed and scraping the bowl often. Mix until well blended.
- Add ganache to the frosting and mix on medium speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Assemble the cake.
- When the cake layers are completely cool, begin assembling the cake. Place one layer on a cake plate and spread a thin layer of frosting on top using a flat or offset spatula.
- Using a piping bag an tip, pipe a border of frosting around the edge of the cake layer. Alternatively, you can use the spatula to spread extra frosting around the edge, creating a border for the jam.
- Spread half of the jam over the thin layer of frosting and out to the frosting border.
- Top the first layer with another layer of cake. Repeat the same process for spreading a thin layer of frosting, piping a frosting border, and spreading the remaining jam.
- Top the second cake layer with the final cake layer. Frost the tops and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. It does not need to be perfect.
- All around the side of the cake, gently scrape the tines of a fork through the frosting from bottom to top to create a tree bark pattern.
- Garnish the cake with sprigs of rosemary, fresh cranberries, and mini pinecones. Use a sifter to dust the top of the cake with sugar or cocoa.
Notes
Storage: This cake can be stored at room temperature on a lidded cake plate or cake carrier for up to 2 days. After two days, move the cake to the fridge and store for up to 3 more days (5 days total).
Freezing: Leftover cake can be frozen for up to two months. First remove garnishes and place the unwrapped cake in the freezer to allow the frosting to freeze firm. Then wrap the frozen cake in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil before returning to the freezer.
Nutrition
Calories: 710kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 303mg | Potassium: 329mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 60g | Vitamin A: 875IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 3mg
